Reporting work grows with volume
Reporting teams spend more time preparing Forms 1099-R and 5498 and collecting information from different administration systems and entities.
Life Insurance Carriers
Reduce the effort behind high-volume retirement tax reporting.
Zenwork helps life insurers process large volumes of Forms 1099-R and 5498 while reducing manual data entry, filing errors, and repetitive tasks. With flexible data intake, pre-filing checks, and recipient copy eDelivery.
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$500B+Reported via Zenwork in TY2025
16Filing seasons
99.99%Platform uptime
IRS-authorizedeFile provider
High filing volumes make tax reporting more demanding.
Account-level errors add follow-up work
Incorrect information across multiple accounts, mismatched recipient details, and withholding errors can result in corrections and inquiries from account holders.
Separate deadlines and state obligations
Different 1099-R and 5498 deadlines, plus applicable state 1099-R filing and withholding requirements, make it harder to coordinate reporting activities.
Prepare for new form layouts and IRS filing route.
Tax year 2026: Updated Form 1099-R and 5498 layouts
For tax year 2026, the IRS introduced updated address fields on Forms 1099-R and 5498, and revised Form 1099-R boxes.
2027 filing season: IRIS replaces FIRE for the 2027 filing season
Another major change for the 2027 filing season is that the IRS will be retiring FIRE, and IRIS will be the only intake system for information returns.
With over a decade of experience, Zenwork tracks IRS reporting changes and updates supported workflows, accordingly. Insurers can also use Zenwork to submit supported information returns through IRIS without building their own separate IRIS transmission process.
Less manual work across annuity and IRA reporting
Prepare tax forms more efficiently across reporting entities
Spend less time collecting 1099-R and 5498 records. Import the data using bulk CSV imports and APIs into structured filing workflows.
Harbor LifeHarbor Annuity
CSV import1,248 records
APISynced
FormAccount
1099-R
ACCT-204185498
IRA-77103Ensure fewer corrections before filing
Check name/TIN against IRS records, validate addresses, and confirm reporting details are correct. Doing the checks early can surface data problems before submission.
J. AlvarezHarbor Life · ACCT-20418
Name/TIN matchMatched
AddressReview
Field checksPassed
Clearer oversight of federal and state filing
Get clear submission status tracking. Keep track of federal deadlines and applicable state Form 1099-R reporting requirements.
1099-RDue
Recipient statements
Electronic IRS filing
State 1099-RAs applicable
5498Due
IRA year-end value & applicable RMD statements
Contribution information & federal filing
Respond quickly to account-holder requests
Deliver tax forms electronically with recipient consent or by mail. Access filing histories to reduce retrieval work and support correction workflow.
ACCT-20418Filing history
1099-R2026eDelivery
54982026Mailed
1099-R Corrected2026eDelivery
Built for enterprise-grade reporting accountability
Integrate with existing annuity and IRA systems
Excel/CSV, secure file transfer, and REST APIs bring reporting data from existing systems into Zenwork without keeping your current infrastructure in place.
Keep sensitive tax records secure
Control access with user roles, approval workflows, SSO, two-factor authentication, and TIN masking. Track activity using detailed logs.
Additional account verification
An optional Death Master File screening can identify potential matches and flag accounts for further review by authorized teams.
DMF screening
Potential match
Authorized review
Frequently asked questions
When does a life insurance carrier file Form 1099-R versus Form 5498?
An insurance carrier files Form 1099-R to report distributions from annuities, retirement arrangements, IRAs, and certain insurance contracts. While, Form 5498 is filed by an institution maintaining an IRA to report contributions, rollovers, year-end account value, and other required IRA information. Life insurers generally file Form 5498 when they maintain an IRA, even if no contributions were made during the year.
Zenwork supports reporting for both forms where applicable.
What are the 2027 filing deadlines for Forms 1099-R and 5498?
For tax year 2026, Form 1099-R recipient statements are due February 1, 2027, with electronic IRS filing due March 31, 2027, and paper filing due March 1, 2027.
Form 5498 follows a different filing schedule. IRA year-end value and applicable required minimum distribution statements are generally due February 1, 2027. Contribution information and federal filings are due June 1, 2027.
What changed on Forms 1099-R and 5498 for tax year 2026?
The IRS updated the address fields on both forms. Form 1099-R reorganized box 7 into boxes 7a–7d (Report distribution codes, identify certain IRA and Trump account distributions, and report earnings on excess contributions from Trump accounts) and box 8 into boxes 8a–8b (Report certain annuity contract values and related percentages). Form 5498 also added code HP in box 14b for repayments of qualified first-time home purchase distributions.
Do life insurance carriers have separate state filing requirements for Form 1099-R?
Depending on the jurisdiction and distribution, insurance carriers may have separate state filing requirements for Form 1099-R. State requirements may depend on the type of distribution, recipient information, and whether state income tax was withheld. Some states accept filings through Combined Federal/State Filing, while others require direct-state submissions, or state-only filing.
Zenwork supports both federal and state reporting filing routes, including corrections and reconciliation requirements.
How does the FIRE-to-IRIS transition affect retirement and annuity reporting?
Since FIRE will stop accepting information returns after November 19, 2026, the IRS will only accept information returns from IRIS for the 2027 filing season.
Existing FIRE-format transmissions will not be accepted. Insurance carrier must therefore make sure they are aligned with IRIS’s technical submission requirements.
With Zenwork, carriers can continue providing reporting data through supported upload and integration methods. Zenwork already has experience filing 1099s through IRIS since tax year 2024 and uses its own Transmitter Control Code.
Make the next filing season more manageable for life insurers.
Zenwork connects existing annuity and IRA administration data to structured reporting, with less repetitive preparation and clearer oversight through filing, furnishing, and corrections.
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